Frank: Scalia is a ‘homophobe’

Rep. Barney Frank, the outspoken Massachusetts lawmaker who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, called U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia a “homophobe” during a recent interview about gay rights issues.

Frank, who is gay, was interviewed by the news website 365gay.com. In the video interview, available on the website, Frank was asked about of the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that prevents the federal government from recognizing gay marriages and gives states the right not to recognize gay marriages even if legal in another state. Frank said the only way to end the law would be through a constitutional challenge before the nation’s highest court.

“I do think that [the] argument that it is unconstitutional for the federal government to pick and choose as to which marriages it will accept is a good one,” Frank said. “At some point it’s got to go to the United States Supreme Court.

“I wouldn’t want it to go to the United States Supreme Court now,” Frank added, “because that homophobe Antonin Scalia has got too many votes on this current Court.”